Ryan Papenhuyzen facing ugly $6 million Nicho Hynes reality with move to Sydney NRL team
The Bulldogs have emerged as favourites to grant Papenhuyzen a big-money move home to Sydney.
OPINION
Will Ryan Papenhuyzen choose the money or love of his club when deciding on a new contract? It's a decision most top NRL players will be faced with at some point in their careers, but a look at Nicho Hynes' $6 million deal at the Sharks is a perfect example of the intense scrutiny Papenhuyzen would face if he joined a Sydney club on big money.
Like Papenhuyzen, Cronulla's former Dally M Medallist experienced his own injury setback in 2024 that sidelined him for a large chunk of the season and left him playing second fiddle to halves partner Braydon Trindall when he did return. Hynes relinquished the chief playmaker role that typically comes with being a No.7 and the Sharks' marquee star - instead taking a back seat as Trindall ran the show.
It was Trindall's brilliance that saw the Sharks topple the Cowboys in the first week of the finals. And it left many questioning how Hynes was Cronulla's 'million-dollar man' when Trindall was only on a contract worth around half that of his teammate. Hynes earned his bumper deal at Cronulla off the back of a breakout 2022 season that saw him claim the Dally M Medal as the NRL's best player.
However, the Sharks playmaker suffered from a drop in confidence after twice being axed from the Blues' State of Origin squad. He also looked below his best at the back-end of the 2024 season after returning from an eight-week injury lay-off. And the spotlight from the Sydney media was fierce on both occasions as Hynes' form slumps played out in public and his marquee status at the Sharks was questioned.
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Papenhuyzen faces the same reality if he decides to swap the AFL-obsessed Melbourne for the furnace that is Sydney for a marquee NRL star. If Papenhuyzen were to get injured again or suffer a drop in form after moving to Sydney, the spotlight would burn brighter on him in the NSW league heartland than it would in Melbourne.
It's a brutal truth the Storm No.1 will have to weigh up when deciding whether or not to extend beyond next season with Melbourne. The Bulldogs have emerged as favourites to bring Sydney-born Papenhuyzen home, with Code Sports reporting the club has around $1.6 million to play with in their salary cap, meaning they could potentially blow the Storm out of the water.
Ryan Papenhuyzen has a big call to make on next contract
Melbourne have reportedly asked Papenhuyzen to take a pay cut from $950,000 to $750,000 per season if he wants to stay at the club beyond 2025, with the fullback's injury record said to be a major factor behind the decision. Papenhuyzen has been plagued by leg injuries in recent years, and the Storm are also wary of blocking the path of young sensation Sua Fa'alogo. The 21-year-old was recently re-signed to a five-year deal at Melbourne, but has had his playing time limited due to the presence of Papenhuyzen at fullback.
Former Storm teammate Brandon Smith weighed in on the Papenhuyzen situation recently to argue that Melbourne's offer was fair. Smith said "I don’t think they [the Storm] undervalued him", pointing to a spate of serious injuries for Papenhuyzen over the last three years that have seen him miss a big chunk of footy.
“I think if you look back in the last three years, he’s played 15-odd games," Smith said on the 'Cheese and Jam' podcast with James Graham. "I think that would have been a part of the decision-making process. We can’t continue to pay this guy $1.1million when he’s playing 30 per cent of the season. He’s small and he’s fragile.”
Smith's argument is one of the major reasons why Papenhuyzen might be considering a big-money move though. Who knows if the next injury for the Storm star might be career-ending? NRL careers only have a short lifespan in the first place and no one would begrudge the Melbourne fullback for securing his long-term future and setting himself up financially for years to come.
But in Melbourne Papenhuyzen has a second home, with the fullback describing club legend Billy Slater and his wife Nicole as his second family. Papenhuyzen is also under the tutelage of one of the best coaches in the game and Craig Bellamy's side look set up to be a premiership contender for years to come, making Papenhuyzen's next contract decision arguably the biggest of his career.
